We recently connected with Katie Kramer and have shared our conversation below.

Katie , appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Taking risks can seriously affect the trajectory of your life, it’s exciting and scary all at the same time. In my experience, the biggest risks I have taken in my life, have positively affected it.

When I was 22, I knew that I wanted to pursue grad school in Fine Art and so I applied to nearly a dozen schools. My first acceptance letter came from a little art college on the West Coast of Ireland, in Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, called Burren College of Art (accredited by the University of Galway). It had a small castle and sat in the middle of a local farm. It was beautiful and rough at the same time. I had met an artist in my hometown previously that had done an artist residency there and she absolutely loved it. I enthusiastically accepted the offer and began planning my solo move- not expecting what I was about to experience.

I chatted with a few students that were also attending, via email, and I packed up my art supplies and belongings and made the move to Ireland. There were only a handful of grad students attending at the time, so we became very close and they are still some of my greatest friends today.

It was a rural college, which meant wearing high-vis vests while walking the 1.5km to the college from the small town and keeping the gallery door closed to stop the spring calves from wandering in uninvited.

It was the most unique and difficult 2 years of my life. I made amazing connections with people and saw incredible places, all while making art that made my heart happy.

I give that experience a lot of credit for where I am today. Without those experiences, friends and mentors, I don’t think I would have the courage to teach or share my work with the world. Currently, I’m not exactly where I would like to be but I’m certainly on the path to it.

All because I took the risk and did the most terrifying next step in my life. I hope everyone gets the chance to take a risk like that, at least once in their life.

Katie , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Katie Kramer. I am a University Contract Lecturer, Freelance Graphic Designer and an Artist in my spare time. Like many creatives, I have a difficult time choosing one avenue to pursue. My goal for 2024 is to create more artwork and brand myself as an official art and design business called K.Co.Studio.

I grew up in Northwestern Ontario, Canada, where I completed my undergrad in Fine Art. I knew it was a path I wanted to continue down and I was open to any direction it took me. This ultimately led me to Ireland.

I completed my Masters of Fine Art and Ecology at Burren College of Art, Accredited by the University of Galway in 2019. At the time, it was a terrifying risk to jump on a plane at 22 and move across seas, but it ended up being one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to dive into the Irish culture, meet fantastic people from around the world, as well as bring my art and education to the next level.

In all that craziness, I ended up meeting the love of my life in Calgary, Alberta (a story for another time) and have since made it my home. Fast forward to the present, I teach graphic design, digital art and drawing. I absolutely love helping people bring their creative visions to life and it gives me immense joy knowing that I get to do it as a job.

In between teaching, I also work on freelance design projects. In the past year, I have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic women business owners who are working hard to make their goals come true. Some projects that I hold close to my heart include helping Michyla Vig (https://kalonpilates.ca) develop her brand and website for her online pilates membership and assisting Margot Freitag in creating her children’s plant based cookbook (https://www.plantpoweredpunks.com/). It is incredibly rewarding to watch the growth and success of the people I have worked with.

Amidst all these projects, my true joy of fine art tends to sit on the back burner. To remedy this, I am actively searching for a vacant place in the YYC area to host my own solo art opening. Sometimes when opportunities don’t come to you, you have to find them on your own.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have this constant desire to create artwork/design and to experience it. I definitely don’t feel like I create enough work, but it’s something I am always thinking about. I love seeing and experiencing what others have created, it gives me inspiration in my work and motivates me to continue down this bumpy path I have chosen.

The ultimate goal in my creative journey is happiness. It may sound corny, but I think it’s something we all strive for. I want to have a simple, stable life that allows me to help others bring their creative visions to life, including my own. We all know about the ‘starving artist’ mentality, there are so many ways in today’s world to find success. It just may look different to each person.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

There are so many ways to support artists and creatives. It can be as simple as sharing their social media to your Instagram Story, or purchasing an original artwork or print from a local artist to decorate your home.

These small acts add up to the bigger picture. Being an artist or designer currently, is less about creating work and more about marketing and business. So much effort has to go into getting your name out there and establishing connections, and creating opportunities for yourself. When someone puts forth an effort to make that easier for you as an artist/creative, it can have such a positive impact.

Contact Info:

• Website: Design Portfolio: https://klkramer41ad.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: @k.co.studio.katiekramer
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/katiekramer3
• Other: Artist Website: https://www.katiekramerart.com/

Image Credits
The images supplied are my images and you have permission to use them.